A Colorado man is in critical condition on Wednesday after he used an AR-15 assault rifle to fire at an officer and then was shot himself.

A Longmont Police Department press release obtained by the Coloradoan said that the 36-year-old police officer had stopped the suspect at about 2:15 a.m. on Tuesday for driving without headlights.

The suspect got out of his vehicle and “advanced on the officer and began firing multiple rounds at the officer with an AR-15-style rifle,” the statement said.

The officer returned fire, hitting the man three or more times. The department said that the officer had not been injured in the shoot out.

Some portions of Ken Pratt Boulevard were expected to be closed while the shooting was investigated. The department was following its standard procedure of placing the officer on administrative leave during the investigation.

Are you suggesting that he should have started out at an elementary school or movie theater for practice before moving on to police officers? That's just sick. Why would you even say that? For shock value? A cheap laugh? I, for one, am not amused.

Are you suggesting that he should have started out at an elementary school or movie theater for practice before moving on to police officers? That's just sick. Why would you even say that? For shock value? A cheap laugh? I, for one, am not amused.

I'm saying that the shooter apparently fired first with one of these deadly weapons, and apparently didn't hit the officer, who then fired back and hit the shooter.

Hence, the AR shooter isn't a very good shot.

__________________I think the young people enjoy it when I "get down," verbally, don't you?